Before You Quit Your Day Job, Check Out This Advice From Six-Figure Entrepreneur Pauleanna Reid
"Pauleanna, you don't just drop gems. You throw them at people's heads."
This statement from Tanisha, (an xoTribe member and one of Pauleanna's mentees) clearly explains the awe-inspiring experience that was had during the recent xoTribe Mentor Monday fireside chat with Pauleanna Reid.
On August 18, with more than 100 women in attendance, Pauleanna Reid engaged in, what felt like to me, an intimate, one-on-one conversation. Not only was it transparent and authentic, but there were also real-life actionable items and takeaways shared. Personally, my confidence and courage increased significantly as a result of the experience with college dropout turned six-figure entrepreneur, Pauleanna Reid.
As a Senior Contributor at Forbes, Pauleanna captivates readers by interviewing and sharing stories about phenomenal and successful entrepreneurs. Additionally, she lends her abilities as a ghostwriter to help celebrities and CEOs bring their books to life…and all while mentoring hundreds of career-driven women through her mentor program, New Girl On The Block.
Pauleanna may have dropped out of college, but she definitely dropped major gems about navigating life as an entrepreneur:
1.Before you transition as a full-time entrepreneur, make sure you have a plan.
You don't want to start a business out of desperation versus passion. For Pauleanna, it was imperative that she paid down debt and saw a proven track record of sales for at least a year before she fully transitioned. Once her side hustle revenue surpassed her corporate salary, it was one of the first signs that helped her realize it was time. Soon after, she "hired smart and hired fast" (e.g., executive assistant, videographer, graphic designer, and writers), having learned that it's the "responsibility of the CEO to grow the business, but the responsibility of the team to maintain it."
2.Practice getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Pauleanna constantly practices this each day by trying something new that scares her. Not to mention, she repeatedly reminds herself, just as she reminded us, that "we come from a lineage of excellence." By remembering and practicing this, it helps build confidence and courage so you can push through fear and self-doubt, as well as help conquer imposter syndrome.
3.Be strategic about networking.
Instead of going to multiple events, Pauleanna is very strategic about the types of, as well as the number of, events that she attends. She prefers more one-on-one connections, and each month, she sets a goal for the number of strangers she wants to meet. Making the best use of your time means being more strategic about how you use it, as well as how you allow others to use your time.
4.Craft and practice your elevator pitch.
GiphyEven though you may have more than one elevator pitch depending on your audience or the ask, your elevator pitch should communicate: who you are, what you do, who you help, and the benefit of working with you. Most importantly, it should provide some insight as to what you and your business will do to help them.
5.Don’t be intimidated by or get caught up in titles.
This applies whether it's your title or the title of the person that you're pitching to. In other words, don't be afraid to shoot your shot. Even if there isn't opportunity for you and that person to work together, they may know of someone else in their network.
Also, as Pauleanna put it, "there's a difference between your title and your purpose." Understand that your purpose isn't always tied to a paycheck. Hence, you may have to do things outside of your work or business to help live out your purpose.
6.“Everyone else is concerned with leveling up, but I’m dedicated to maintaining excellence where I am.”
As Pauleanna stated "a lot of people are good at 8 different things and phenomenal at nothing," but it's better to learn how to master and give 100% to one thing at a time. As she explained, "pursue the path that has the least resistance by doing what comes the most natural and easiest to you." Don't be that person who "does a little bit of everything, but really does nothing at all.
7.Keep telling your story because “every single day you’re going to have new attention.”
Regardless of the number of followers or customers you may have today, think of the hundreds, thousands, and millions who have yet to hear your story. "There's always something new to reveal," Pauleanna mentioned, "And you can always penetrate the same story from different angles." Whether you know it or not, someone is waiting and needs to hear your story. Ultimately, it comes down to being transparent and connecting the dots of your life to the lives of those you speak to.
8.Remember your why.
season 1 comedy GIF by ShowtimeGiphyWhen fear and self-doubt start to creep in, ask yourself: why am I here, what am I fighting for, and why am I doing this? Pauleanna actually reads her goals aloud each and every morning as a way to help set the tone and energy for that day.
9. “Crawling is OK,” but comparison is not.
If you're not careful, social media can easily trick you into thinking that success happens instantly or overnight. However, the reality is that everyone has to start somewhere, and you can't always see the story behind the success. I love when Pauleanna said, "The only way I know how to climb out of a hole is gradually. If you can't run, then walk, if you can't walk, then crawl." You have to be patient with yourself and believe that "what's for you, won't miss you."
To watch the playback of this Mentor Monday's session and other exclusive workshops, join our xoTribe membership community today!
Featured image courtesy of Pauleanna Reid
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Shonda Brown White is a bestselling author, blogger, life coach, and brand strategist. When she's not jumping out of a plane or zip lining, she's living the married life with her husband in Atlanta, GA. Connect with her on social @ShondaBWhite and her empowering real talk on her blog.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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You've Never Seen Luke James In A Role Quite Like This
Over the years, we've watched Luke James play countless characters we'd deem sex symbols, movie stars, and even his complicated character in Lena Waithe's The Chi. For the first time in his career, the New Orleans-born actor has taken on a role where his signature good looks take a backseat as he transforms into Edmund in Them: The Scare—a mentally deranged character in the second installment of the horror anthology series that you won't be able to take your eyes off.
Trust us, Edmund will literally make you do a double take.
xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
Courtesy
Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
Getty Images
Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
Featured image by Getty Images